“Gypsy” and Cultural Differences

[NFRatwell 23,290]

Everytime I see people “call out” Gaga’s problematic history they always mention Gypsy and how it’s a slur word. What I don’t understand is that, the people who preach about this stuff are also very vocal about respecting cultural differences. So my question is, why is that while here in America Gypsy doesn't have a slur or negative definition to it- that because in other places it does Gaga must silence or censor her own lyrics? It doesn’t make much sense to me.
 

Like here in mainstream America it’s not normal or socially acceptable to eat cats and dogs but if other cultures do it we should respect their choices because there’s a cultural difference there. I actually support that ideology, but I find it hypocritical that in the Gypsy case people automatically jump to one culture and claim it as the superior one that should be followed by everyone else. Meanwhile Gaga is American and most likely has never seen or heard the word used in a derogatory way and even in popular music here it’s been associated with a “wondering person” like Fleetwood Mac’s song- not as a derogatory term to a specific ethnic group.
 

Does anyone else agree? Should Gaga be exempt from criticism for using a word that in other places has a different definition to it? Or do you think that as a global artist she should’ve been more careful with the song?

[Blastertoyo 22,728]

She has a song called Scheisse and Judas so it seems clear to me she knows how to google and read.

 

I believe that intention is the key, and she isn’t using it in a derogatory way by saying she is a Gypsy. Like if she wrote a song called “I’m a slut” because sluts are “bad” and she’s taking that on along with it’s negative connotations, why should people be offended (for her?)

[Guest]

Ive never seen this criticism, I wouldnt take it seriously..

But Gaga is an international singer, not just an American. Gypsies are real and being treated badly. I remember going to Madonna concert in Barcelona and she talked about this, and the crowd booed her!

[Franch Toast 26,374]

I'm American, and I'm aware of how it's considered a slur and try not to use it. Here are some articles about it: 

https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/gypsy-slur-netlflix

https://now.org/blog/the-g-word-isnt-for-you-how-gypsy-erases-romani-women/

https://mindfulmermaid.com/stopsayinggypsy/

Gaga obviously just meant it as a synonym for a free-spirited wanderer, but that doesn't mean people's discomfort with the term isn't valid. 

[Meruk Holland 2,245]

9 minutes ago, NFRockwell said:

Meanwhile Gaga is American and most likely has never seen or heard the word used in a derogatory way and even in popular music here it’s been associated with a “wondering person” like Fleetwood Mac’s song- not as a derogatory term to a specific ethnic group.

That's not entirely true. A very popular song by Cher is called Gyspies, Tramps, and Thieves and the song is about a girl who was born to a family that performed medicine shows in the South. They would travel from town to town, and they were considered con-men, and thus scorned, and be called all sorts of slurs and curses, such as Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. 

Granted, this was a 70's song, and it spoke of an even older time, but Cher wasn't a small time one-hit-wonder. And in American society, it was mostly used in the South and its a bit archaic, but many people today still use the word "gypped" to mean cheated or screwed. "I bought these two days ago, and now they go on sale, I got gypped."

I personally think intention is much more important than a words' literal meaning, but that doesn't mean there isn't a knee-jerk reaction to the words. For example, I've met people who have said things like "If a couple of f*ggots want to get married and want equal rights, then what's wrong with that? They're people, no different from us." I appreciate their sentiments and I do want them as allies, but that doesn't mean I don't find their use of the word "f*ggot" naturally uncomfortable even if they see nothing wrong with it. It's just a word to describe a gay person to them. 

[Franz Ferdinand 2,359]

I mean, yes, antiziganism (discrimination against Roma people) is more rampant in Europe than it is in the US, but the US also has a history of anti-Roma discrimination. Since the 19th century they were legally listed as "colored people", and treated as second-class citizens. To this day, there are pervasive stereotypes of Roma folk, that they are dirty, circus workers, wanderers, etc. A quick google search of the slur shows really disgusting headlines for instance: https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-fox-news-gypsies-trump-immigration-640004

So, I wouldn't say the word has a different definition in the US. It certainly is a slur here too, the Roma population in the US expresses its dislike for it, so she really shouldn't have used it. I understand if she didn't know it was a slur, but I wouldn't say ignorance is a good excuse because the knowledge is out there.

[Chromatica Island 8,517]

She just wrote with how she felt about touring, she didn't mean it offensively.

[Chromatica Island 8,517]

What about people who are named Gypsy?

[Chromatica Island 8,517]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gypsy There's different definitions of the word as well and one of them is a traveling or free- spirited person

[Franz Ferdinand 2,359]

2 minutes ago, Monsterabriel said:

She just wrote with how she felt about touring, she didn't mean it offensively.

Intent vs impact.

If I accidentally knock something over that don't belong to me and it breaks, I still gotta apologize/try to repair it. Even if I didn't mean any harm by it, harm is a result.

[Focz 1,765]

It always seems stupid to me when they give that example, especially when Gaga does not use the word with the intention of offending the culture but instead uses the word to imply that she is constantly moving around the world without a real home 

[Zombiecat 15,837]

the only people i've ever seen mention Gaga's 'Gypsy' in comparison to that meaning is from Gaga fans insisting it might be considered offensive lmao 

no one even knows the song exists apart from us pretty much  

[Fresco 1,688]

But she's Italian, not Romani!

I didn't know that gypsy can be a slur word. I only really associated the word vaguely with travelling belly dancers, flowing scarves, and wiggling, that's it. 

As an English word, she gets to choose which definition she meant, and it isn't the slur.